Moustafa Abbas, a practicing Muslim and senior analyst of tax and compliance at a Fortune 500 conglomerate in Pittsburgh, has just seen Zachary Goldstein at the company’s monthly employee resource group (ERG) meeting. Goldstein, who is wearing his typical black yarmulke, appears as though he’s been crying. Abbas wonders: Was Goldstein affected by the shooting at the local Tree of Life synagogue only three days earlier? Abbas knows very little about Goldstein—and even less about his religious beliefs or practices—but he understands sorrow and senses Goldstein’s need for support. What should Abbas do? Should he bring up the incident or leave Goldstein alone? Would Goldstein even appreciate reassurance from someone like Abbas? With the ERG meeting beginning shortly, Abbas has to think fast, as it will be another month until he sees his colleague again.

This fictionalized caselet is part of the “In Search of an Ally” series, which invites students to consider how they might support colleagues who are members of a community that has recently suffered a megathreat—whether they, too, belong to the same community or can relate to the incident. These caselets also explore appropriate workplace behavior as it relates to relationship dynamics and boundaries, sensitive personal information, and job responsibilities. They are appropriate for courses on communication, emotional intelligence, leadership, relationship management, talent management, and other organizational behavior–related topics.